About Mockingbird Pictures

Mockingbird Pictures was formed in the Spring of 1999.

The name is inspired by three things. First, Harper Lee’s novel and the film starring Gregory Peck entitled “To Kill A Mockingbird.” The subject is integrity, and the execution of both pieces pure artistry. It is the marriage of those two concepts that we aspire to achieve. Second, the mockingbird is the only songbird that regularly changes his tune. We feel it is important to flow with our circumstances: to live, and learn, and be open to the people and opportunities surrounding us. Finally, the mockingbird is a fierce defender of its nest. This is how we feel about our projects, as well as the many individuals who work with us on each of them.

We have comedies and thrillers amidst our slate, as must every company with an eye towards diversification in the marketplace. There is great value in entertainment. And yet, many of our projects – indeed, the ones that we feel most committed to – reflect our desire to tell stories that will impact our audiences in ways that stay with them well beyond their time in the theatre.

We want the process of filmmaking to be rewarding. Our goal is to have every filmmaker, crew member, and financier that works with us want to repeat the experience. This means being responsible to the budgets, and yet flexible enough to meet the constantly changing needs of artistic enterprise.

So, the goal remains the same: artistic integrity in product and process.

Julie Lynn formed Mockingbird Pictures in the summer of 1999, with Bonnie Curtis joining in 2011.

Mockingbird is currently awaiting release of two films: Robin Swicord’s “Wakefield,” starring Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner, which will be released by IFC on May 19; and Marti Noxon’s “To The Bone,” starring Lily Collins and Keanu Reeves, which will be released by Netflix this summer.

Mockingbird's most recent release is Rob Spera's "The Sweet Life," starring Chris Messina and Abigail Spencer, which is being digitally distributed by The Orchard.

In March 2017, Sony released "Life," starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds, which Lynn and Curtis produced along with David Ellison and Dana Goldberg of Skydance Media.

Ms. Lynn’s eighth project with writer/director Rodrigo Garcia, “Last Days in the Desert,” stars Ewan McGregor, Ciarán Hinds, Ayelet Zurer and Tye Sheridan. The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and will open in the U.S. on May 13th, 2016 through Broad Green Pictures. The LA Film Festival is about to premiere Rob Spera’s “The Sweet Life,” with Chris Messina and Abigail Spencer in the lead roles.

In April 2015, IFC Films released Victor Levin’s “5 to 7” starring Anton Yelchin and Bérénice Marlohe, with Frank Langella and Glenn Close. In March 2014, IFC Films released “The Face of Love,” directed by Arie Posin, starring Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Jess Weixler, Amy Brenneman and Robin Williams. Just prior was the Roadside Attractions/Liddell Entertainment presentation of Rodrigo Garcia’s “Albert Nobbs,” written by Glenn Close, John Banville, and Gabriella Prekop from the short story by George Moore. The film stars Ms. Close, Mia Wasikowska (“Alice in Wonderland,” “Jane Eyre”), Janet McTeer, and Brendan Gleeson. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Actress.

Mockingbird Pictures films have played at many festivals, including Toronto, Sundance, Telluride, AFI, Tribeca, LAFF, Deauville (Grand Prize), San Sebastian (Closing Night) and Locarno (Grand Prize), and have been nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards and Academy Awards.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Lynn co-produced Steve James’s “Joe and Max,” as well as HBO’s presentation of Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “WIT,” directed by Mike Nichols and starring Emma Thompson. That production won The Peabody, The Humanitas, The Christopher and three Emmy Awards, including “Best Picture.” Ms. Lynn also supervised the horse races on Gary Ross’s Academy Award-nominated “Seabiscuit” for Kennedy/Marshall, DreamWorks and Universal Pictures.

As time allows, Ms. Lynn serves as a story consultant for Pixar Animation Studios, on films including Pete Docter’s “Up,” as well as for the Film Commission of New South Wales. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and serves on the Independent Committee of the Producer’s Guild of America

Ms. Lynn spent three years as Vice President for the Fresh Produce Company. Prior to that she was Creative Executive for Oscar-winning producer Mark Johnson. Before moving to Los Angeles, Ms. Lynn practiced law at the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression in Charlottesville, Virginia. She received her JD from the University of Virginia’s Law School and a BA from its College of Arts and Sciences.

Ms. Lynn is married to Douglas Smith, an author and professor of American History. They have two children, Zoe and Jack, and a dog named Oscar.

Bonnie Curtis was born in Texas and graduated as Valedictorian from Abilene Christian University with a BA in journalism. She moved to Los Angeles with her first love in mind: film.

Curtis immediately found production work on the films “Dead Poets Society” and “Arachnophobia” before being hired as Steven Spielberg’s assistant in 1990 embarking on what would become a 15-year professional relationship with the acclaimed director. After the films “Hook” and “Jurassic Park,” Curtis became a Production Associate on “Schindler’s List” and served as Associate Producer on “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” and “Amistad.” In 1998 she Co-Produced the epic blockbuster “Saving Private Ryan,” for which she received the Producer of the Year award from the Producers Guild of America. Next came “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” followed in 2002 by “Minority Report,” starring Tom Cruise.

Fulfilling a longtime desire to work with a first-time filmmaker, Curtis produced “The Chumscrubber” with Lawrence Bender (“Good Will Hunting,” “An Inconvenient Truth”) for first-time director Arie Posin in 2005. The film starred Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes and Jamie Bell and was an official selection for both the Sundance Film Festival and South by Southwest Film Festival as well as winning the “Audience Award for Best Film” at the Moscow Film Festival.

Next up was “Albert Nobbs,” starring Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson, Janet McTeer, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Brendan Gleeson, which Rodrigo Garcia (“Mother and Child”) directed in Dublin, Ireland. She produced the film with Close, Garcia’s longtime producer Julie Lynn and Alan Moloney (“Breakfast on Pluto”). The film received three Academy Award nominations.

Following “Albert Nobbs,” Curtis partnered with Lynn under Lynn's production company label: Mockingbird Pictures. Since joining forces, the two have produced “The Face of Love,” which Curtis's “Chumscrubber” director, Posin, co-wrote and directed. The film stars Annette Bening, Ed Harris and Robin Williams, and was released March 2014. Following that came the release of “5 to 7,” a romantic dramedy starring Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe, Glenn Close, Frank Langella, Olivia Thirlby and Lambert Wilson. The film was written and directed by longtime TV-writer Victor Levin (“Mad Men,” “Mad About You”) and was released April 2015.

Next came “Last Days in the Desert,” written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, starring Ewan McGregor, Ciarán Hinds, Ayelet Zurer and Tye Sheridan. The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Broad Green in May 2016. Most recently released was “The Sweet Life,” directed by Rob Spera and starring Chris Messina and Abigail Spencer. The film premiered at the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival and was digitally released by The Orchard in April 2017.

Curtis and Lynn have two films awaiting release. One is “Wakefield,” written and directed by Robin Swicord and adapted from an E.L. Doctorow short story, which will be released on May 19, 2017 by IFC. The film stars Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner. The other is “To the Bone,” written and directed by Marti Noxon, starring Lily Collins, Carrie Preston, Keanu Reeves and Alex Sharp. "To the Bone" premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix; the film will be released this summer. Most recenty, Curtis and Lynn produced the Skydance Media film “Life” alongside David Ellison and Dana Goldberg. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds and was released March 2017.

In 2002 Ms. Curtis was featured as one of 30 “Great Women of Film” in Helena Lumee’s best-selling book from Watson Guptill Press. In 2004 she was the recipient of the Women in Film Topaz Award from the Dallas chapter. She has co-chaired GLSEN’s (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) Respect Awards and has served as an Honor Society Member for the organization since 2005 and currently serves on the organization’s National Leadership Council. In March 2015, Ms. Curtis was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in Austin, Texas.

Ms. Curtis lives with her wife, Kim Lincoln, and their daughter Maggie.

Allison Avery Jordan has an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Texas and an MFA in creative producing from UCLA. Upon her graduation from UCLA in 2012, Jordan joined Mockingbird Pictures, led by principals Julie Lynn and Bonnie Curtis.

Jordan’s most recent producing credit is To the Bone, written and directed by Marti Noxon. The film stars Lily Collins and sold to Netflix following its premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Previous producing credits include Robin Swicord’s Wakefield, starring Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner, which premiered at the 2016 Telluride Film Festival and will be released by IFC Films on May 19; Rob Spera’s The Sweet Life, starring Chris Messina and Abigail Spencer, which premiered at the 2016 LA Film Festival and was released digitally by The Orchard in April 2017; and Rodrigo Garcia’s Last Days in the Desert, starring Ewan McGregor, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by Broad Green Pictures in May 2016.